Automatic signal for railway-crossings.



No. 662,9I8. Patented D80. 4, I900. J. E DEAN.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOB RAILWAY CROSSINGS.

UNITED STATES JULIUS E. DEAN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY-CROSSINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,918, dated. December 4, 1900.

Application filed. July 25, 1900. Serial No- 24.812. -.l lo model-J f ref/L whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JULIUS E. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Signal for Railway-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic signals for railway-crossin gs.

The objects of the present in\ en tion are to improve the construction of signals for railway-crossings and to provide an exceedingly simple and inexpensive one adapted to be operated by the Wheels of a passing train and capable of ringing a bell and of displaying a semaphore or other signal.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1- is a perspective view of a railway-signal constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken longitudinally of the track and illustrating the construction of the depressible operating device. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken transversely of the track.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a compressible device consisting of a bar arranged at the outer side of one of the rails of a track, but adapted, if desired, to be arranged at the inner side-of the rail, and the said bar 1 is pivoted at its end 2 and is provided at its other end with a tongue 3, arranged in a suitable guide 4,which may be secured to the rail 5 or to any other suitable support. The bar 1, which projects above the rail, has oppositely-inclined upper edges and is adapted to be engaged by the tread of a wheel, whereby it will be depressed when a train passes over it. The arched bar is provided between its ends with a notch 6, and it engages an arm 7 of a substantially horizontal lever 8, fulcrumed betweenits ends at 9 and connected at its outer end with'the bar. The weight of the rod 10 also assists in returning the depressihle bar to its elevated position after it has been engaged by the wheels of a train; The rod 10, which is disposed in substantially a vertical position, is connected with an arm 12 of a T-shaped lever 13, which has its laterally-extending arms 14 connected with short centrally-pivoted levers 16 and 17 by wires 18 and 19, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings. The T-shaped lever 13 is fulcrumed on an upright or post 20, and the short centrally-pivoted levers l6 and 17 are mounted on uprights or posts 21 and 22, arranged at one side of the track, and in practice any number of uprights and short centrally'pivoted connecting-levers may he provided for supporting the upper and lower connections 18 and 19 at proper intervals and to enable the operating device to be located a considerable distance from the signals to be operated. One of the end levers is provided at its lower end with a bell 23, and this lever16 liasitslower end connected hyachain 24 with a pivoted semaphore 25, mounted on a post 26 and designed to be arranged adjacent to a crossing. The other end lever 17 is connected at its upper end by a chain 27 witha pivoted semaphore 28 of apost or upright 29. Each semaphore is provided with a weight 30, mounted on a curved guide or bar 31, located above the semaphore and extending to points at opposite sides of the pivot of the semaphore. The chains 24 and 27 form flexible connections between the levers 16 and 17 and the semaphores, and when the mechanism is operated by the depression of the arched bar 1 the chains 24 and 27 are jerked suddenly, and this impulse throws the pivoted semaphores to the opposite side of the pivotal point, and the weights 30 are adapted to slide on the curved guides or bars to hold the semaphores in their exposed position until the train has passed the crossing. After the train has passed the crossing it is designed to engage another operating device for returning the pivoted semaphores to their normal positions. When the semaphoresare oscillated in the opposite direction, the weights will be returned to their normal positions and will prevent any accidental movement of the semaphores, which may bearranged in any suitable manner to display any kind of a signal,

and they may be utilized for affording a warnand located above the lever 16. The T-shaped lever 33 is designed to be connected by-upper and lower connect-ions 34 and 35 with a T-shaped lever similar to the lever 13, and this T-shaped lever will be arranged a suitable distance beyond thesemaphore and will be connected with a compressible device similar to that heretofore described, and as the second compressible device is constructed ex-' actlythe same as that heretofore described further illustration or description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In an automatic signal, the combination of a pivoted semaphore, a sliding weight carried by the semaphore and adapted to move from one side of the pivotal point to the other to hold the semaphore in a given position, and means for operating the semaphore, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic signal, the combination of a pivoted semaphore provided with a guide extending across the pivotal point, a sliding weight mounted on the guide and adapted to shift automatically its position from one side of the pivotal point to the other as the semaphore is oscillated,a depressible device adapted to be engaged by the wheels of a train, and connections between the depressible device and the semaphore, substantially as described.

3. An automatic railway-signal comprising adepressible bar hinged at one end and havscribed.

in g a slotted connection at the other end with a suitable support, a horizontal lever fulcrumed between its ends and having an approximately L-shaped arm extending beneath one of the rails and connected with the said bar, signals, and connections between the signals and the said lever, substantially as described.

4. An automatic railway-signal comprising a pivoted semaphore, a series of levers fulcrumed on suitable supports, connections between the levers,a flexible connection extending from one of the levers to the semaphore, and an operating device connected with the said levers, substantially as described.

5. In a railway-signal, the combination of the pivoted semaphore 25, the lever 16 fulcrumed between its ends, a flexible connection extendingfrom the lower end of the lever v nected with the said levers, and a depressible device connected with and adapted to actuate the T-shaped-lever, substantially as devmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS E. DEAN. Witnesses:

O. F. PARKS, JAMES P. OLSOVER. 

